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In 2007, Nintendo's inexpensive and quirky Wii video game console had become all the rage. Despite its underpowered processor and comparatively basic graphics, it outsold both the Sony PlayStation 3 and the Microsoft Xbox 360. Nintendo's handheld system, known as the DS, also outsold Sony's more advanced PlayStation Portable. Nintendo's products were so successful, retail stores in North America and Japan quickly sold out whenever new shipments arrived, and many consumers were forced to pay premium prices on the grey market. The case examines the characteristics of a successful new product launch, particularly product features, brand loyalty, content availability, third-party support, and adherence to industry standards. The case also considers how radical innovations can be used to win market share from technically superior products focused on incremental innovations. Finally, a 4P marketing analysis is used to compare video game systems offered by Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo. The case may be used with The Launch of the Sony PlayStation 3 (Ivey Case 9B07A014) and A Note on Video and Computer Games (Ivey Case 9B07A013).

The assistant coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, had just seen the team lose. In order to increase their chance of scoring, they had added a sixth offensive skater to the ice by sending their goaltender to the bench (known as pulling the goalie) in the last 60 seconds of the game. Doing this did not give the team an advantage, in fact, a member of the opposite team was able to shoot the puck into the unguarded net, which cost the Leafs the game. The assistant coach had questioned whether the practice of pulling the goalie was a good one. He had also heard that models had been used to investigate strategies in sports. He wondered if mathematical modeling could be used to determine if pulling the goalie was a good strategy.

A new investment analyst with Alpha Value Fund was working on a presentation he was to make to the fund's investment committee, recommending an investment of $50 million in Sanderson Farms. Sanderson Farms was one of the leading poultry processors in the United States. Their stock had closed that day with a share price of $22.62 on the New York Stock Exchange. Eight months ago, the stock was trading at $48 per share. However, with the threat of an epidemic outbreak of avian flu and because of the losses incurred from hurricane Katrina, the share price plummeted. The investment analyst believed that the markets were over-reacting and, based on his analysis, Sanderson Farms presented a value candidate. He knew he had to be persuasive given the fund's preference for stable business and his relative lack of experience as an analyst.

The chief executive officer (CEO) of West Lake Furnishings Ltd. (West Lake) has been given a proposal from one of his top three wholesale customers: lower the price of a line of signature lamps from $69.99 to $29.99 in exchange for five times the unit sales. The decision point of the case focuses on whether the CEO should or should not take the offer, and answering the question requires a close examination of West Lake's business strategy and its industry. The West Lake case is a short, comprehensive case that is useful for time-pressured situations like case competitions or exams. It can also be used to introduce the Five Forces, or give an overview/review of the entire strategic analysis process.

In 2006 Wal-Mart, the second largest firm in the world by sales, was looking to improve its already efficient supply chain. The company's supply chain was closely integrated with its retail and information systems strategies and has been developed incrementally over the past 40 years. However, rivals are copying every aspect, from the way Wal-Mart cross-docks product in warehouses, to Wal-Mart's use of a sophisticated database to capture, store and disseminate store-level information to suppliers. Wal-Mart's new executive vice-president, logistics was overseeing a handful of initiatives designed to improve the firm's supply chain. However, it was not certain that these initiatives were going to have a significant impact on Wal-Mart costs, and he needed to consider what the company should do to stay ahead of the competition.

A student project team must recommend to a firm whether or not it should acquire its largest competitor in the salmon farming industry, and if so, at what maximum price. The case does not provide enough information for students to solve the case, instead, students must think about the data and analysis they would need in order to answer their client's question. This case highlights framing a strategic problem for analysis and decision making as well as the preliminary analysis and planning required for efficient and effective data gathering. The case provides an opportunity to focus on secondary sources of data and introduces students to the resources available through the university library.

A managing director of international equities for a large public sector pension fund has to decide how the pension fund would vote on say for pay. Say for pay represents a vote held at the annual general meeting whereby shareholders have an annual and non-binding (thus it has no legal effect on the board or the corporation) opportunity to vote on executive compensation. Such a vote is obligatory in Australia and the United Kingdom and is starting to be practised in the United States. The case introduces students to elements of executive compensation, governance issues with executive compensation, the compensation analysis process, and the business model of investment bank / merchant banks and the use of private equity funds as vehicles to create value and retain value to the general partner and shareholders or the investment bank / merchant bank.

The coordinator of an introductory, required freshman course is responsible for managing the final exam for 25 sections every semester. Approximately 500 students took the exam at the same time on a Saturday morning. The students were notified several times throughout the semester about the date and time of the exam. The rules stated that unless arranged prior to the exam, anyone late or absent on the day of the exam would receive a zero on their exam grade. The (A) case has three scenarios, each requiring a decision.

The senior portfolio manager at National Securities Inc. (National) is concerned about the recent decline in shares of Agnico-Eagle Mines Ltd (AEM), a Canadian gold producer with several years of precious metals mining experience that was considered one of the portfolio's strongest performers. The senior portfolio manager and his team recently spent time at one of AEM's mines and believed in the operational potential of the company. National's research department had prepared free cash flow forecasts for AEM, which the senior portfolio manager reviewed and modified, following their visit with the company. He knew that despite his team's belief in the future prospects of AEM, the stock may have become overvalued from a fundamental view point. The senior portfolio manager asked his team to perform a fundamental valuation of the equity of AEM. As normally, this meant the team would use the discounted cash flow (DCF) methodology, with financial assumptions that had been carefully examined. However, he knew that DCF valuation would likely undervalue resource companies, such as AEM, as the DCF valuation tended to overlook the flexibility provided at decision nodes during the life of the company with regards to extracting commodities from the ground. As a result, the senior portfolio manager reminded the team that the DCF method, when applied to a mining company, had to be expanded to explicitly include the value of the un-mined metals. The underground un-mined gold would need to be valued as a real option, using an adjusted Black-Scholes model.

A professor is shopping for a diamond engagement ring. He finds one with certain specifications for a certain price, and wishes to determine if the price of the diamond is fair. He collects data on the prices and characteristics (cut, colour, clarity and carats) of several hundred diamonds from three Internet wholesalers. This case can be used for linear regression analysis with categorical variables as well as other statistical techniques.

Two MTR Corporation (MTRC) managers are participating in a week-long program in financial management. For their next class, they need to calculate the cost of capital for MTRC. First, they will review the concepts of investor expectations and cost of capital. Then, they must calculate the cost of capital by using the financial statements provided to them by the instructor. The two managers discuss their understanding of these concepts as they prepare their assignment, which is due in two hours.

In February 2007, Loblaw Companies Limited (Loblaw) was far and away the dominant food retailer in Canada with a market share of 35 per cent across its various retailing formats. As part of its long term retailing strategy and in a bid to reduce the impact of Wal-Mart Canada's entry into food retailing, in 2004 Loblaw began to build new The Real Canadian Superstores in Ontario and position them as blockers that resembled Wal-Mart's U.S. combination food and general merchandise superstores. It overhauled its entire logistical system to improve its cost structure and it brought in new senior executives in 2006. Unfortunately, The Real Canadian Superstores appeared to be disappointing some customers, retail analysts, industry experts and even former Loblaw executives. Meanwhile, Wal-Mart entered the retail food market in 2006 with distinctive emphasis on fresh produce and deli offerings on top of its low prices and wide assortment. The question for Loblaw's executive team was whether or not to make any strategic changes, and, if so, in what direction.

The PlayStation 3 (PS3) was the successor of the acclaimed PlayStation 2 (PS2), recognized as the world's best-selling video game console with more than 100 million units sold. The unprecedented display of enthusiasm for the PS3 suggested that Sony had another winner on its hands. The company projected sales of six million PS3 consoles worldwide between November 2006 and March 2007, a level that the PS2 took almost a year to reach. Sony's initial euphoria was short-lived. By February 2007, more than a third of PS3 consoles remained unsold, while some retailers reported a higher number of returns than sales. Consumers said they felt let down by Sony. The PS3 looked no better than Microsoft's Xbox 360, they complained, even though the Xbox 360 had already been on the market for more than a year, and sold for $200 less than the PS3. Customers also lamented the PS3's lack of interesting games, spotty support for PlayStation 2 games, and uninspiring online capabilities. Meanwhile, Nintendo's inexpensive and quirky Wii console had become all the rage, despite its underpowered processor and comparatively basic graphics. The case examines the characteristics of a successful new product launch, particularly product features, brand loyalty, content availability, third-party support, and adherence to industry standards. The case also considers how radical innovations can be used to win market share from technically superior products focused on incremental innovations. Finally, we use a 4P marketing analysis to compare video game systems offered by Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo.

This case allows for a discussion on loyalty programs. How should irewards, a consumer loyalty program, take advantage of the new capabilities promised by Indigo's new customer relationship management (CRM) system. Would adjustments to the pricing structure or the membership discounts be appropriate? Ultimately, how could Indigo ensure that its irewards program was both meaningful to customers and contributed to sales growth? The basis of the irewards program was an annual membership that afforded the member discounts on books. Members were assigned a membership card with a specific number that referred to their account; an annual membership fee was the cost of the program to the customer.

As opposed to other emerging countries, the tire market in India was almost exclusively dominated by local players: 90 per cent of all tires on the Indian market were made and sold by local Indian companies. It is important to note that the big names of the world tire industry - Michelin, Bridgestone, Goodyear and Continental - were hardly visible in India. Michelin was absent from the Indian tire market and it is very surprising that the world leader of the tire industry had neither a production facility nor a distribution network in India. Why such an absence? Why did Michelin have so little presence in Asian emerging countries and especially in India? This case presents the main features of the tire industry in India. The case allows students to carry out a comprehensive strategic evaluation of the industry's attractiveness as well as an in-depth analysis of the structure of competition. Students will also conduct performance analysis for each company.

Two managers attending a week-long executive education course are working on an assignment which requires them to estimate the cost of capital for EnCana Corporation, a leading North American oil and gas producer. The two managers disagree about which costs need to be taken into account to complete the assignment. They are not sure about the costs of different sources of capital, the overall cost of capital and the appropriate use of the hurdle rate.

This case looks at the issue of whether an investment bank should invest in Tritortric, a privately held Turkish company specializing in white goods. Tritortric is planning an expansion in Europe either as OEM or through the acquisition of an existing European brand. Students will evaluate the attractiveness of Tritortric as a company and to provide guidance related to the mode of international expansion. This case also allows a broader discussion of how a company from an emerging country can compete against companies/brands from a developed one.

The CEO of Coca-Cola is faced with increasing criticism over the company's handling of alleged human rights abuses in Colombia. A grass roots protest movement known as The Campaign to Stop Killer Coke has built international support for a boycott of Coca-Cola products on college campuses. The campaign centers specifically on the intimidation and murder of union leaders at a specific Coca-Cola bottling plant in Colombia. Coca-Cola asserted that it was not responsible for such abuses. Rather, the violence at the Coca-Cola plant was the product of a political situation that was beyond the company's control. The company further argued that it was in compliance with local labor laws, and had been dismissed as the defendant in lawsuits filed in Colombia and U.S. courts. At the time of the case, Coca-Cola is faced with anti-Coke campaigns at more than 100 college campuses worldwide and official boycotts of its products at a number of large well-known campuses in the United States. In response, the company has undertaken an audit of its bottling plants in Colombia. It also launched a public relations campaign aimed at refuting accusations of human rights violations. The case can be used to discuss corporate ethics, extraterritoriality, marketing and public relations.

The case describes the circumstances surrounding the introduction of www.google.cn. In order to comply with Chinese government requirements, google.cn censors web results. This appears to contradict Google’s stated philosophy and its mission to organize and make accessible the world’s information. A public outcry ensues and Google is forced to defend its controversial decision. The case presents both sides of the debate and asks students to consider what they feel is right.

An investor is deciding if she should invest in RONA Inc. RONA, a large Canadian hardware and renovation retailer headquartered in Boucherville Quebec. The company had experienced strong growth and had achieved considerable success. The investor was now prepared to analyse the financial data, provided as well as perform a size-up of the current and future direction of the company in order to make her decision.